Hydroaeroplane.



W. S EATON.

HYDROAEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,1911.

1,289,131., I Patented Dec. 31,1918.

, E INVENTOR W1rremJEa%om/.

WAR REN S. EATON, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

HYDROAEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec 31, 1918.

Application filed July 20, 1917. Serial No. 181,818.

To all iii/10m it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Tannery S. EATON, residing at Plainfield, county of Union, and State of New J ersey have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydroaeroplanes, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to the art of aerial navigation and it especially has for its object to provide an improved construction of hydroaeroplane in which provision is made whereby the machine may rise from or alight upon the water in a convenient and safe manner at any desired speed.

Heretofore it has been found difiicult to construct a machin which will quickly break from the water or which will readily alight upon the water without dipping for ward or nosing. In machines of the hydrozferoplane type, as now practised, in order to rise from the water it is necessary to so manipulate the machine as to obtain a fore and aft rocking action (called horsing) in order to get the tail out of the Water before the machine will break away from the water to plane in the air. This requires considerable skill on the part of the aviator and is not a satisfactory manipulation for getting away from the water because the action is too slow and there is more or less danger of upsetting the machine. It is therefor the principal object of my invention to construct the machine so that the necessity of horsing is avoided, and a quick, free and safe break from the water can be made at any and all times. This is accomplished by constructing the machine as diagrammatically indicated in the accom panying drawing, in which the figure is a diagrammatic view showing the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, in which like letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in the figure. the aeroplane structure, which is complete in itself, includes the fuselage 1, the planes 2-2, the plane connecting vertical struts 3 and braces 4, the propeller mechanism 5, and the vertical and horizontal tail rudders 6 and 7, all of which parts may be ofthe usual construction.

S designates the pontoon which is constructed of suflicient buoyancy to sustain the machine upon the water and it is provided with the forward hydroplaning incline 9 which extends dmvnwardly and rearwardly from the bow and terminates in a rearwardly facing step 10 located approximately beneath the center of gravity G and from the step 10 the bottom surface of the pontoon extends rearwardly and upwardly as at 11. The construction of the pontoon may be 7967' so, of the present type.

12 designates a forward connecting brace element between the bottom of the aeroplane structure and the pontoon, the brace 12 extending from a point 141, where it connects with the lower plane from the aeroplane structure downwardly and forwardly, and is connected at 13 to the pontoon, the point 13 lying well forward of the center of grav- My 17 is another connecting standard between the aeroplane structure and the pontoon, and the standard 17 is connected at 16 beneath the lower plane 2 and at 18 to the pontoon 8, the standard 17 being located well to the rear of the center of gravity and the point 13 and 16 are also connected to diagonal braces 15 to maintain the substantial relative position of the points of connection.

P designates the center of planing pressure and G indicates the center of gravity. The location of the center of gravity, with relation to the center of planing pressure, is such that the resultant vector of the thrust and weight which passes through the center of gravity of the machine, will also pass through the center of planing pressure. By thus locating the center of gravity, I find, from practical experience, that horsing becomes unnecessary and the machine will quickly rise from the Water without the usual tail retarding action. Furthermore by so constructing the parts that the resultant vector of the thrust and weight which passes through the center of gravity will lie always to the rear of the point 13, danger of nosing the machine into the Water in alighting is largely overcome.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thought the complete construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those center of gravity, an aft support connecting the pontoon and aeroplane structure, the

points of connection lying aft of the center of gravity, the center of planing pressure lying at a place aft of the point of connection of the fore support 'with the pontoon and forward of the center of gravity, the center of gravity being so located that the resultant vector of the thrust and weight which passes through the center of gravity will also pass approximately through the center of planing pressure.

2. In a hydroaeroplane, a pontoon, an aeroplane structure, a fore support connecting the pontoon and aeroplane structure, the points of connection lying in advance of the center of gravity, an aft support connecting the pontoon and aeroplane structure, the point of connection lying aft of the center of gravity, the point of connection of the fore support with the pontoon lying in advance of the center of planing pressure, and the center of gravity being so located that the resultant vector of the thrust and weight which passes through the center of gravity will also pass through the center of planing pressure.

3. In a hydroaeroplane, a pontoon, an aeroplane structure, a fore support connecting the pontoon and aeroplane structure, the points of connection lying in advance of the center of gravity, an aft support connecting the pontoon and aeroplane structure, the points of connection lyingaft of the center of gravity, said pontoon having a hydroplaning surface, a step at the rear termina tion of said surface, the step lying approxi mately beneath the center ofgravity, the point of connection of the fore support with the pontoon lying in advance of the center of planing pressure, and the center of gravity being so located that the resultant vector of the thrust and weight which passes through the center of gravity will also pass through the center of planing pressure.

4. In a hydroaeroplane, the combination with an aeroplane structure complete in itself, of a pontoon also complete in itself and including a hydroplani'ng surface terminatmg in a rear step which is located substantially beneath the center of gravity of the machine, fore and aft connecting struts between the bottom of the aeroplane structure and the top of the pontoon, said struts lying respectively fore and aft of a vertical line through the center of gravity of the apparatus, the center of planing pressure of the pontoon lying aft of the point of connection of the fore strut with the pontoon and in ad- Vance of a vertical line through the center of gravity.

5. In a hydroaeroplane, the combination with an aeroplane structure complete in it- .self, of a pontoon also complete in itself and including a hydroplaning surface terminating in a rear step Which is located substantially beneath the center of gravity of the machine, fore and aft connecting struts between the bottom of the aeroplane structure and the top of the pontoon, said strut lying respectively fore and aft of a vertical line through the center of gravity of the apparatus, the center of planing pressure of the pontoon lying aft of the point of connection of the fore strut with the pontoon and in advance of a Vertical line through the center of gravity, the center of gravity being so located with respect to the center of planing pressure that the resultant vector of the thrust and weight through the center of gravity will also pass through substantially the center of planing pressure.

WARREN S. EATON. 

